Mergen
While investigating a hunter’s death in a remote Kyrgyz mining town, a young investigator is haunted by the same visions that once drove his father to madness.
Mergen is a remote Kyrgyz town scarred by abandoned Soviet mines and the collapse of local industry. When a hunter is found dead, young investigator Nurtai is drawn into the case. His search leads to Kerim, a powerful businessman who organizes illegal hunts for wealthy tourists and plans to reopen a gold mine on a sacred mountain. Meanwhile, Nurtai begins seeing a little girl, echoing the visions that drove his father into a psychiatric institution. As the investigation deepens, inherited trauma and Kyrgyz mythology converge in a struggle over greed, survival and the land itself.
SCREENINGS
Sunday 8 November 17:00
Programme section(s): Cinema Current | East of East
Original title: Мерген | Year: 2025 | Runtime: 105′
Country: Kyrgyzstan | Language: Kyrgyz, Russian | Subtitles: English
Cast: Omurbek Izrailov, Nazym Mendebairov, Kalipa Tashtanova, Regina Talantbekova
Director: Chingiz Narynov | Production: Chingiz Narynov, Aida Usonova – Citylab Production; Kyrgyzfilm National Studio | Screenplay: Aikyz Gaparova | Cinematography: Urmat Tendik | Editing: Natalya Polyakova
FESTIVALS & AWARDS (SELECTION)
Bishkek International Film Festival, 2025 – National Premiere; Grand Prix, FIPRESCI Award (Central Asian Competition) | International Film Festival Rotterdam, 2026 – International Premiere | Red Lotus Asian Film Festival, 2026 | Zerkalo International Film Festival, 2026 | Film Festival Cottbus, 2026
DIRECTOR’S BIO
Chingiz Narynov (1986) is a director and producer of documentary and feature films. He studied at the Saint Petersburg State University of Film and Television and at the Documentary Film Center at George Washington University. He is the co-founder of the Citylab production studio, based in Kyrgyzstan. Selected filmography: Ala-Too (2012), Metal Bread (2014), After the Rain (2019), Mergen (2025).
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
In Kyrgyz culture, ecology and a respectful attitude towards nature have always held profound significance. This film is a modern reinterpretation of the ancient legend of Kozhozhash, in which a greedy hunter kills more animals than he needs and is cursed by nature. In our story, the antagonist is not just a hunter, but a businessman whose greed drives him to destroy a sacred mountain, representing a far greater threat. We wanted to portray the real, non-touristic Kyrgyzstan and explore the problems faced by people in these remote, decaying towns – ruins of the Soviet empire where honest work is nearly impossible. The film explores what it means to be human and retain one’s humanity in the most challenging of circumstances. Nature itself becomes a character, manifesting as a mysterious fog that envelops the protagonists at key moments. It’s a slow-burn mystical thriller that metaphorically explores our country’s deepest wounds and reflects on humanity’s often predatory relationship with the natural world.
